A 5213: Establishes a developmental disability, mental health, and behavioral condition community stakeholder committee to examine effective evidence-based developmental, mental, and behavioral health screening methods for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5213 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 12, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BUTTENSCHON, SANTABARBARA, SAYEGH, ANDERSON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Mental Health AN ACT in relation to establishing a developmental disability, mental health, and behavioral condition community stakeholder committee; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Developmental disability, mental health, and behavioral 2 condition community stakeholder committee. 1. The commissioner of mental 3 health, in consultation with the commissioner for people with develop- 4 mental disabilities, the commissioner of children and family services, 5 and the commissioner of education, shall establish a community stake- 6 holder committee to examine appropriate and effective evidence-based 7 screening methods, and appropriate interventions for children identified 8 with a developmental disability, a mental health or behavioral condi- 9 tion, and educational supports for students in kindergarten through 10 grade five. The community stakeholder committee shall consist of at 11 least ten members. The following four members shall serve as co-chairs 12 of the community stakeholder committee: (a) the commissioner of mental 13 health or their designee; (b) the commissioner for people with develop- 14 mental disabilities or their designee; (c) the commissioner of children 15 and family services or their designee; and (d) the commissioner of 16 education or their designee. The remaining members shall be appointed 17 in cooperation by the temporary president of the senate and the speaker 18 of the assembly in such a manner as to ensure that all regions of the 19 state are represented, and shall include: (a) at least two members who 20 specialize in identifying, evaluating, and diagnosing individuals with a 21 developmental disability, or a mental health or behavioral condition; 22 (b) at least one member who specializes in providing education to indi- 23 viduals with a developmental disability, a mental health or behavioral 24 condition; (c) at least one member who is a parent of a student with a EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09149-01-5 
 A. 5213 2 1 developmental disability, a mental health or behavioral condition; and 2 (d) at least one member who has been identified as an individual with a 3 developmental disability, a mental health or a behavioral condition. All 4 members shall have expertise in fields or disciplines related to the 5 identification of students diagnosed with a developmental disability, a 6 mental health or behavioral condition. 7 2. The community stakeholder committee shall conduct at least two 8 public hearings for the purpose of obtaining information from stakehold- 9 ers and other interested parties, including but not limited to social 10 workers licensed under article 154 of the education law, mental health 11 practitioners licensed under article 163 of the education law, behavior 12 analysts licensed under article 167 of the education law, and teachers, 13 school administrators, and parents. 14 3. The community stakeholder committee shall prepare and submit a 15 report of its findings and recommendations to the governor, temporary 16 president of the senate, speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of 17 the assembly, and the minority leader of the senate eighteen months 18 after the effective date of this act. 19 § 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2026 and shall expire and 20 be deemed repealed August 1, 2027.